


it's breaking me down, take what's left

by cougarlips



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, M/M, Post-Battle, Post-Kingdom Hearts III
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:24:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cougarlips/pseuds/cougarlips
Summary: Riku still covered him, still fought alongside him effortlessly because it was still Sora and Sora still needed him, but he found himself taking on the mantle of healer now instead of merely shielding Sora and taking enemies out himself.
Relationships: Riku & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 40





	it's breaking me down, take what's left

**Author's Note:**

> title is from "P.S. Missing You" from sleeping with sirens but i listened to hozier exclusively while writing this lol
> 
> this isn't overtly soriku or anything but like everything i'll ever write, riku is 100% in love with sora in every universe always and it shows

Riku and Sora had never actually traveled together before, so Riku wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when he took off with him. He half expected Sora to act just as much like a goofball as he always had: a little clumsy, a little silly and overzealous as they fought their way through lesser hoards of heartless on their way to find Kairi. A part of him expected laughter and smiles and jokes, playful shoves and practical jokes like they’d always done back home as children. He thought, perhaps, Sora would make the most out of their situation and at least try to make it all bearable.

He was wrong.

Fighting with Sora was always easy. They’d been friends for too long to not understand how the other fought. Sora excelled in speed and was light on his feet, but too often left himself vulnerable when he cast magic or tried to get in too close to hit an enemy, and Riku didn’t have to think during battle before he covered for him, allowing him to get as close as he needed to take something out.

Sora treated battle like a dance, almost. Jumping on his heels and casting magic while spinning in midair, landing and lunging to jab at a heartless with another spell already on his lips -- he was fast and perhaps not the most graceful person, but he made it look effortless and almost always wore a smile. He loved the action of fighting and he always had.

But on their journey to find Kairi, the joy was gone. He fought and he fought hard. He was graceful still, yes, but there was now an edge to his movements. There was a new analytical, calculating aspect to his fighting that left his actions cool and brisk, and yet it was almost a messier style than Riku had grown accustomed to. He fought harder and it left him more vulnerable to attack than before.

Riku still covered him, still fought alongside him effortlessly because it was still Sora and Sora still needed him, but he found himself taking on the mantle of healer now instead of merely shielding Sora and taking enemies out himself.

In the evenings, after Sora fought to a point past exhaustion and they found a place to camp, Riku stayed up to work on healing Sora’s wounds. A broken arm, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained ankle, second-degree burns over his arms, frostbite turning his fingers black and blue -- it was always something.

They didn’t talk as Riku healed Sora every evening. Sora would grimace in pain as his bones stitched back together and his body tried to mend itself alongside the magic, but it was otherwise silent save for the crackling of the fire or the sounds of the world around them.

Eventually Sora would fall asleep, his face looking suddenly so much younger than it did when he was awake, and Riku found it easier to work over him. He suspected Sora unconsciously rejected Riku’s magic, because as he slept his body seemed to heal in a snap and he suddenly didn’t have to put any significant effort in mending him.

With a sigh, Riku would sit back and rest his eyes, feeling around in his pockets for an elixir and sipping it slowly. He could feel his magic replenishing itself and his weary body relax into the ground.

And so it would repeat every day. 


End file.
